Harry Potter and the Snake from the Mirror
by xtana
Summary: Book 5&6 spoilers! Harry and his friends have begun their search for Voldemort. With a bit of help from the Order they strive to solve the puzzles and decipher the clues that surround him. Relationships are as JK left them at the end of Book 6
1. Chapter One: Pools of Surprise

**Pools of Surprises**

Only good friends could sit sunbathing on a deck in complete silence and love every second. So they did just that. Harry, Ron, and Hermione lounged on the deck of a London hotel occasionally spitting out a sentence that had no particular conversational value, but made rather good use for space filler.

Their new location was due to their acute need to appear invisible. Gathering clues and trying to find the Dark Wizard who had made their return to Hogwarts impossible was proving to be a difficult task. Their contact with the Order was preserved through Apparition, and although it was the form of traveling Harry hated most, the Floo Networks had come under attack. Nothing was safe anymore. The secret of Number Twelve Grimwauld Street was unleashed at the moment of Dumbledore's death and overrun almost before the Order had a chance to seal their secrets. But Harry knew his contact with the Order was essential. While he was well aware that it was he who must face Voldemort, he needed the help of friends and mentors to dissolve the clues and puzzles penetrating his mind every night. Friends who swore they'd be with him until the end.

"Ron, for the thousandth time, put on sun cream. You'll burn if you don't and then you'll regret it," Hermione pursed.

"Leave me alone. I will not." He glanced up from the Muggle chess set in front of him. "Harry, mate, how do they do this? The pieces don't clobber each other or anything!"

"They're used to it, Ron. Hermione's right. Put the sun cream on. You're looking a little red already."

Ron grumbled and looked at his already burnt and severely freckled body. He slowly applied a thin layer and sat back down. Hermione sighed and tried to continue with her book. Unlike Ron, she was slightly tan, and was wearing sun lotion. Ron resented her for the former, but refused to wear the lotion, no matter how many times Hermione pleaded with him too. "Ron! You need more than that! Harry's right! You're burnt already."

"Oh shut up you little..." he flopped the book out of her hands and leaned in to kiss her.

Harry stood up and walked over to the pool. He hated that Ron and Hermione could act like they did together. He didn't mind that they were together, but he hated that they could keep going while he felt like he was dying inside. Voldemort had achieved his goal of destroying every mentor and safeguard Harry had. His parents, Sirius, and Dumbledore…all had been lost to a wrath of greed and power that threatened every person Harry loved.

Around his neck Harry wore a necklace that had no meaning to him aside from the man who held it last before him. And in a stroke of chance, before the Order vacated the house on Grimwauld Street he managed to recover Sirius' two-way mirror. It was in the hands of the Order's newest member, the one he trusted and loved most, but swore never to show true feelings for.

Harry was trying infinitely to enjoy the small amount of time for relaxation he had, but the thoughts clouding his mind rarely allowed such rest. He turned around and fell into the pool backwards. A second later he felt someone push him up. And gasp for air at the surface. He opened his eyes to see who it was. A familiar red-head was pushing wet hair out of her face and struggling to get to the edge. "Sorry Gin," he mumbled, aghast, pulling her to the side and then out of the pool.

"It's okay, don't worry." She glanced over at Ron and Hermione. Hermione would open her book, get to read a few words, and Ron would shut it and kiss her. "Pathetic, isn't it?" she mumbled, not reacting to Harry's surprise at her having apparated into a pool.

"Just a little," Harry managed to say back. He didn't want to talk about the couple and their teasing habits.

Ginny groaned and said, "Want to go back to the room and play video games? I'm not very good, but it'll be better than watching that," she shrugged towards Ron and Hermione.

"You're on. Let's go." Harry grabbed a towel for her and they walked into the hotel dripping.

Standing in the elevator, and not glancing at Ginny, Harry began, "A little careless of you to apparate into a Muggle pool, don't you think?"

"I would say yes, but I know better," she commented in the same dry, uninterested tone.

"Whadda mean?"

Ginny avoided the question as the elevator stopped and opened. She looked down the hallway in front of her and shuddered, "I don't like this corridor," she commented. The hall was slightly dark and lined on both sides by mirrors between the doors that seemed to race on endlessly1. The dim lighting and repeated figures gave Harry the feeling anyone could be following them. They reached the door and Harry unlocked it, both the Muggle way and with wordless magic and a stroke over the doorknob, as he had seen an elf do in Gringotts. No chances could be taken. He opened the door and crossed the threshold into the two bed room.

Ginny gasped and grabbed Harry's arm. Harry's eyes widened and his mouth dropped opened. He stood in front of Ginny and slowly backed out of the room, shutting and locking the door.

He looked down at Ginny, and they ran.

**Go ahead – review me! (Flames and all…)**

**(zenithxtina)**


	2. Chapter Two: Loss of Breath

_Sorry about the abrupt end to the first chapter. I needed to leave it hanging to get people to come back to it._

_Before I go further, I meant "goblin" at Gringotts…not elf…_

_And I'm sorry this took a while…I got completely engrossed in a friend's fic (she has a great _

_plot going, check it out, she's _Gryffindor-Goddess-Ashley_) so I didn't write. And work is proving to be nice and sucky…_

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**Loss of Breath**

As they skidded down the last stair before the pool Harry stopped to catch his breath.

"Wh - why did you stop?" Ginny gasped.

"Act – like – nothing's – wr –wrong," Harry said between breaths, grabbing her hand, and trying to stroll out of the stairwell nonchalantly. He attempted to walk calmly forward, looking straight ahead.

"Harry, what was th-"

"Later!" he whispered harshly.

His pace quickened as they neared the door to the pool, it was as though he couldn't get there fast enough. He pushed the door open, with Ginny in toll, and tossed towels at Ron and Hermione. "Whatshat about?" Ron said, breaking his lips from Hermione's.

Harry's eyes flashed, "Time to go!" he tried to say lightheartedly.

Ron failed to notice the slight tremble in his voice, but Hermione's gaze flicked to Ginny and she saw what seemed to be fear…

She picked up her towel and bag, and grabbed Ron's hand, "Let's go, love," she said rather forcefully (Harry thought), and dragged him out after Harry, who was dragging Ginny. Harry headed for the stairwell, but Hermione grabbed the collar of his shirt with her free had and lugged him and the others into a cupboard. Pulling her wand from the bag she quickly dried them, and skillfully transformed a few plush white towels on the shelves into jeans and shirts. The others stared at her, then at the clothes. "I didn't do that so you could look at them! CHANGE!"

After pulling the clothes on over their suits, Harry began to slowly turn the knob of the closet, but Hermione grabbed his wrist and yanked him around. "Why are you so worried? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later, we have to leave," he paused, "_now…_"

Ron stared back and forth as Hermione and Harry tried to reason the best way to get to the Leaky Cauldron. "Umm," he began, "why not just Apparate?"

Harry clapped himself on the head. Of course. At times he thought the biggest disadvantage of being raised without knowing about magic was forgetting it actually existed, and the idea of a faster and easier (though not always more pleasant) way for everything. "Of course," he said out loud this time. "Ginny, wands," he commanded impatiently.

In Ginny's hand was the bag Hermione had grabbed before leaving the pool. She opened it and shuffled things around, handing the boys their wands, then taking her own. They tucked them into their jeans as Ron suggested, "I don't care what happened, we should go to the Burrow, Order members are always in and out."

The others nodded, reassured at the thought of seeing Mrs. Weasley and a warm homemade meal for the first time in weeks.

"Hermione and Ginny first, then you, Ron," Harry motioned to each as he spoke.

Hermione nodded, closed her eyes and with a small 'pop' disappeared. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, wrapped her arms around the bag, and was gone when his eyes blinked open.

"See you in a minute, mate," Ron said, and vanished.

Harry glanced around the small space, reminded of his first "room". How he longed for those times now. He shook his head to stop himself from thinking about it. Words echoed in his head, "It does not do to dwell on dreams…and forget to live…" He squeezed his eyes shut, picturing the kitchen and the Burrow, feeling warmth already.

Before he knew it, an all too familiar pressure filled his ears and his lungs were pressed of air. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut, fearing they would be pressed from his head. But in a second, it was over.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. In front of him was a pot of boiling potatoes, and next to him a cabbage was tearing itself up. He turned just in time to have Mrs. Weasley force the breath out of him again.

"Harry! Darling!" she hugged him tighter. "Something happened? Arthur and I have been waiting for news from you! We didn't know Ginny left," she grasped his shoulders and looked into his eyes, "We summoned Lupin and Tonks as soon as Hermione apparated," she said, referring to the coins Hermione suggested they use. "Some of the Order is on their wa-"

She was interrupted when a young woman with bubblegum pink hair and ripped jeans popped into sight. At the same moment another woman, this one with flowing silver hair, collided with her, and both tumbled to the floor. Someone else had rushed down the stairs at the same moment, but managed to avoid the heap of estrogen on the floor. Slinking around them he bear hugged the youngest Weasley boy, and moved towards Harry.

"Those are looking much better," Harry commented as he shook Bill's hand, nodding at the scars on his face. Three wide, ghastly lines of what had been torn, scabbed flesh were beginning to heal across Bill's face. The inch-wide rips started above his brow, at his hair line, and slanted down from the left of his face to the right, to his chin. The middle one missed his eyes by millimeters, just making it between them. They were horrible scars.

"You could challenge Moody with those," a familiar voice remarked. The occupants of the room turned to see Remus Lupin walk in the back door of the kitchen, looking as worn and haggard as ever. Tonks staggered up, massaging an injured head, and ran over to him. It was obvious they hadn't seen each other for days.

"Speaking of…" Ron muttered.

A very disheveled looking man was limping into the room with a cane. His glass eye was spinning madly in its socket, and an eerie grin crossed a mangled face. "I think he needs to try a bit harder to achieve that, don't you?"

The room filled with a warm, light, laughter, considering the morbid topic.

As the laughter died down, Harry was shocked to have the wind entirely knocked out of him, for the third time, by two heavy thumps on the back. Black spots appeared in front of his eyes as he tried to stay balanced. After a few feeble wheezes, he gulped down air and looked up. The bright smiling faces of Fred and George Weasley stared back at him. "Hello, mate! We heard something happened, and we can never resist action," Fred humored.

"Great idea Hermione had with the coiney things. They should be marketed! But I see we weren't fast enough, looks like half the Order beat us here!" George said, looking around the room, "What'd we miss!"

Eyes shifted from Harry to either of the twins, then back to Harry, still doubled over breathing heavily, and wincing from pain as he straightened up. He moved toward the table, to sit down, and glancing up, realized all eyes were on him. "Yeah…?" he asked, unsure.

Mrs. Weasley looked from Harry to her twin sons, glaring. "Harry was about to tell us what we missed before such chaos ensued!" she nearly shrieked. Fred and George just grinned and took the nearest seats possible at the table and began to converse with Harry, pretending no one else was there.

"So, mate," Fred began.

"What brings you here on this fine day?" George completed.

"Mum's obviously happy to see you."

"But that doesn't stomp out our curiosity."

"Speaking of," George continued…

"We have a business proposi…" his words were halted as Moody rapped them on the heads with his cane, like a pair of railings.

"Later, boys," he hissed. "Harry would not have stopped his search to earn a little extra money from a joke shop. Lend your mother a hand, help get dinner on the table, and Harry, I'm sure, wouldn't mind waiting a few more minutes to tell his story."

Everyone blinked at Moody, then everyone began to rush about, gathering dishes to set the table, and plates of food, piled high, were centered on a table that, oddly enough, seemed to grow in length as they did so. Gradually everyone was seated, as Mr. Weasley walked in the door. His eyes widened when he saw the table, but lightened considerably at the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He scrambled to drop his things from work and take a seat by his wife.

"What's happened? What did I miss?" he questioned, heaping potatoes and roast beef onto his plate.

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley began again, "was just about to tell us."

The smile on Mr. Weasley's face faded some. Harry sipped a butterbeer gingerly, and Ginny, who was seated next to him, gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. He began to recount the weeks since leaving Privet Drive.

"Ron, Hermione, and I have been hotel bouncing since they came to collect me from the Dursley's. Besides a few strange looks, we've been pretty successful in staying unseen. Or so we thought," he glanced at Ron and Hermione, who abruptly stopped eating. He continued slowly, "it's been tedious work. Deciding on possible clues has been not only difficult, but disturbing. And transporting a Pensive is difficult…" heads snapped up to look at him.

"A vaht...?" Fleur interjected delicately. Harry was about to answer before she spoke again, "Oo've been looking at memvories?"

"Yes," Harry said simply. "During the last school year Dumbledore and I searched memories for clues…for anything. Things that helped us find secrets about Voldemort's past. I thought it would be a good place to pick up. Only, this time, we've been extracting our own memories. Combined, we've seen and heard enough, be it recently or in the far past, to find small, simple clues. And, as I said, it's been tedious. Ron and Hermione can justify that. We've searched hundreds and hundreds of our own memories." He stopped and swallowed a large chunk of beef.

"So what happened? Why'd you rush us all here?" Tonks asked curiously.

Ginny shivered, suddenly remembering. Harry looked at her, thinking that he shouldn't continue, knowing he had to.

"Well," he began, slowly again, "Ginny…appeared today…"

Mrs. Weasley breathed in sharply, "Ginevra…"

"No, no," Harry said quickly, "It's actually a very good thing she did." He closed his eyes, trying to remember exactly what he saw. "We decided to go to the room,"

Five Weasley men looked at Harry; he knew they were questioning his motives.

"Harry, we know you have the hotts for little Gin here but -" George started.

"We really…_really_ don't want to know how disastrous she is in bed…" Fred finished.

The room erupted with laughter at the looks on Harry and Ginny's faces. Both turned bright red, and sank a few inches lower in their chairs. Then, realizing nothing had happened between them; Ginny stood up and pointed her wand towards her twin brothers. "I'd watch it if I were you," she tutted, lowering her wand and moving it between their laps, "or you really _will _end up being horrible in bed…" Laughter ensued again, Ginny smirked and sat down, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley let out small, but audible sighs, and forks were picked up again.

Harry picked up the tale, "We went to _play video games_," he said pointedly "and..." he paused again, fiddling with his fork.

Twelve pairs of eyes bored into him. The light-hearted mood was, very suddenly, gone.

**---------------**

**Sorry guys…another nice little cliff hanger for you. Review (PLEASE). I'll keep this going, don't worry…I'm actually beginning to figure out where it IS going and at least what's happening in the next chapter :-P.**

**So please please please PLEASE review, and I'll write the next installment as soon as I can. I have the next few days off work, so I can write a bit more. I hope you enjoy this chappie!**

**(zenithxtina)**

**P.S. Did I say you should review!**


	3. Chapter Three: Bloody Memories

_Well now – aren't you lucky? I managed to catch my boyfriend on AIM and he walked me through reinstalling drivers and stuff to get my internet working (even though my mom told me not to use AIM on her laptop…oops). So whenever I put this update up is 2 days earlier than it would have gotten up. :-P._

_I swear though…it's Thursday night, and even though I have to go to bed half and hour ago, I created this file just to prove that I'm going to write! HAHA! You can't escape me! (I don't know why I told you that – I could just delete this whole paragraph and be done. Muwhahaha._

_You can all thank my best friend for this update…she let me know how much she despised me after getting those 2 cliffhangers._

_Kaleen Mason pointed out that I used basically the same cliffy twice…I PROMISE you find out what Harry and Ginny saw in this chapter. Anyways – enough of my rambling, and on with the story!_

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**Bloody Memories**

Harry stared down at his roast beef and potatoes, trying to think of a good way to tell them what they had seen.

Someone else broke the silence, "There was something smashed, white stone, all over the floor. From the knowledge we all recently gained…it was a Pensive." Ginny paused, noting the look on Harry's face, somewhat shocked at how calm she'd become, and then began again, "but that wasn't what made it so horrific." She had also noted looks of (she could have been mistaken) annoyance, as if it wasn't a big enough deal. "The smashed pieces had obviously been moved with care, and fit perfectly into the shape of the Dark Mark, it was glowing green…" there were small gasps, and mouths dropped open. Such sickly green signs in the sky, over everything from houses to deserted train cars, had become all too common lately – but never had it appeared as anything other than a mark in the sky.

"That wasn't all though. There was blood, a lot of it," Harry sighed, almost exasperatedly. "It seemed to flow out of the Mark…and it was pooled – I don't think it was touching anything - almost as though it was floating…" he trailed off.

"The room was in tatters," Ginny picked up as Harry's voice descended. "I looked as though someone had gone through, breaking anything that could be broken, tearing apart anything that could be torn, I don't think one thing in the room was left whole."

Hermione's face was scrunched up, as if recalling a memory. "Ron – do you remember our third year, when you were attacked by Sirius that night in bed."

Ron gawked at her, "Of course I do! You think I'd forget that!"

"Well…he was looking for something. Sounds as though our room suffered the fate of someone looking for something they obviously don't want Harry to have, but think he does." Everyone stared at her. They knew she was smart, and very quick witted, but the fact that she'd deduced it within mere seconds, as if not thinking about it, didn't fail to amaze.

Harry muttered a word, only audible enough for one person to hear. The rest of the table sat, brows furrowed, deducing the clues.

"What about the memories…if they were in the Pensive…" Tonks cautioned.

"They weren't," Ron assured.

"What about…" Remus trailed off, he knew Harry picked up on the hint.

"No, it's safe."

"Care to share the details?" Fred asked, look of annoyance on his face.

A bag zoomed across the room into Hermione's hands. A moment later she sent her dinner plate soaring into the sink. "Silent spells, remember?" Everyone watched curiously as Hermione threw towels behind her, as well as numerous London leaflets. "Ah ha!" she exclaimed. She took out a long, slender, vial. Inside, sliding against each other, almost fluidly, were what looked like hundreds of long, silver hairs. Next, she pulled out something equally fluidly. A long piece of dark cloth, formed like a cloak, large enough to shelter three people.

"We've been careful with these. There is no need to fear Voldemort searching our memories; we never left them in the Pensive longer than necessary, all of them are right there, in that vial," Hermione explained.

"And as for the invisibility cloak…at the beginning of last term, Dumbledore told me to carry it with me always," the slight tremble in his voice made it sound as though Harry was carrying the cloak as a tribute to Dumbledore, not a measure of safety.

"So now," Mr. Weasley gestured, "we plan our next move. What to do, how to mop up…"

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed. "The maids, they'll go to the room to clean tomorrow morning! And…we didn't check out either."

Moody's one eye fixed on Hermione, "That, dear, works to our advantage. We have to go back anyways. Cleanup tends to be important."

Tonks groaned, "Not another early morning."

Moody's eye twinkled, "Oh, not too early, six am should do the trick." Tonks shot him a look of poison. "I think you two," he gestured to Tonks and Lupin, "and I should accompany these four tomorrow. We'll leave at 6." His tone was all too cheerful for the rest of the group.

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After a remarkable dessert of cherry pie, banana bread, chocolate cake, and vanilla ice cream, Bill stood up and proclaimed he was going to bed. Fleur followed him up the stairs, and Mr. Weasley led Lupin, Tonks, and Moody too separate rooms and magicked cots for them to sleep on.

Upon walking into the kitchen he was presented with a blast of water in the face, followed by tremendous giggling, and no sooner, he found himself dry. "Oops, Dad, sorry about that…" George chuckled. The twins, ordered by Mrs. Weasley to do the dishes _by hand_,had taken the task into their own hands. Apparently it meant washing anyone who set foot in the kitchen. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were soaked, head to foot, and dripping.

"Mum went to say goodnight to Bill and Phlegm, then she said she's going to bed too," Fred shouted over protests from four soaking individuals.

"Well then, goodnight…children…" Mr. Weasley grumbled as a particularly wet looking stream of water missed it's green eyed target and landed in and on a heap of shoes.

The water fight went on, gradually progressing with jelly-leg jinxes and body-bind curses. Finally, after all counter curses and drying spells had been proclaimed, Ginny and the twins sauntered off to bed, leaving the trio alone.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry and almost immediately the comments began to flow.

"What could it be?"

"What does he need?"

"What do you _have_?"

Harry gulped, and was interrupted for what he thought must be the dozenth time that night, when the only Weasley girl in generations silently appeared in a doorway and repeated the word she'd heard Harry mutter at dinner, "Horcrux…"

For a split second there was deadly silence. Then Ron groaned, Hermione winced, and both sighed almost painfully. "Moody's right, then. We have to go back," Hermione sighed.

"But…how could Harry have it…whatever _it _is?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"_It _is a piece of Voldemort's soul," Harry explained. Ginny looked mortified. "And…as for me already having it? I don't know…"

"His _soul_?" Ginny trembled.

"Yes," Harry began his explanation with Slughorn's memory, and after half an hour, with very little interruptions or questions for Ginny, the trio had explained the despicable art of soul splitting, and Voldemort's obsession with immortality.

Hermione commented, "But now, all we can do is try to figure out what it is Harry's supposed to have that Voldemort wants…"

Ron muttered, "And make sure he doesn't get it…"

Harry finished, "Before we destroy it…"

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**Hope you liked it! I'm gonna work on writing the rest, I have at _least _the next chapter figured out, but nothing's actually written out yet. And please don't send dementors after me…but I also have some bad news:**

Dan "teh Man" (aka the boyfriend…) gets home today, and odds are I won't have as many nights free to write. You guys had your nice 3 chapter week…I figure I can slack a little! But honestly, there's a real reason I wanna spend time with him (besides he's my boyfriend…) and it's because on August 11th I leave with my church on a mission trip to Poland/Germany. The trip is 12 days long, and I'm missing the first day of school…and Dan leaving for college…and our 10 month anniversary. So…I'm gonna take the time I get with him, because I won't be able to even speak to him for almost 2 weeks. (I know…I'm trying to make you feel sorry for me…sigh…is it working! lol.) Don't worry, I'll keep writing when I'm not home (that includes the 4 days my family is going camping) and you'll get updates when I have the chance to type them up!

**Don't forget to _-r-e-v-i-e-w-_, I love you all!**

**(zenithxtina)**

P.S.** REVIEW! And any questions are more than welcome!**

_h.e.l._ (it's a German thing…)


	4. Chapter Four: The Mirrored Hallway

_Hey…long time no write…let's fix that, shall we?_

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**The Mirrored Hallway**

Six in the morning had never felt so early to Harry, not even the day of the Quidditch World Cup. Again he longed for those times before Voldemort's return. He tried not to think about it as he pulled on his jeans and shirt. Times like those were over for now.

A growling voice entered the room from the hall, "Ready to go, boys?" Moody called.

Ron grumbled. Harry realized he wasn't up yet, and threw an owl treat at him, "Get up! We have cleanup to do."

"Not exactly what I want to do at six in the morning."

"Not what anyone wants to do ever," Harry responded.

"Let's go, boys! No time for dallying!" Moody's voice actually sounded cheerful.

"Except maybe him," Ron commented, pulling a shirt over his unkempt hair. "When this is over, Harry, promise we'll sleep until three every afternoon…"

"You've got it, mate. Let's just get this over with so we can spend a few days with your family."

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The two boys stumbled down the stairs and found Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Hermione, and Ginny were waiting for them in the kitchen.

"Righto. Time for us to get going," Moody gruffly chimed. He pulled out what looked like one of the London maps Hermione had flung from the bag the night before. It was crinkled from having been soaked by the water fight the night before, and had dozens of marks on it.

"Blood hell, what is this? A military coup?" Ron said, with an exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes.

Moody glared. "Very close, young man!" He pulled out his wand and started tracing paths along how to come up to the hotel and the best ways to not be seen. Harry wanted to laugh, but refrained.

"How about here," Harry said, pointing to a spot on the map. It was the exact location of the Leaky Cauldron, and had been previously circled in red. "That's where the Leaky Cauldron is – we apparate to Diagon Alley, and we can walk to the hotel."

"That sure seems a lot simpler…" Tonks commented, trying to decipher the 60 or so symbols Moody had drawn.

Moody glared at her. "I will only agree because I know we have to be quick. Fine. We apparate to the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. Remus, you first in approximately – his eye swirled in it's socket – three, two, one. There was a pop and Lupin was gone. Tonks followed, then the boys.

Harry jumped out of the way as Ginny appeared an inch in front of him. She stepped back and bumped into him. "Sorry, Harry…" she pushed his arm off hers and stepped aside.

Hermione appeared a second later, and Moody soon after. They bustled into the pub as inconspicuously as seven people could at 6 am. Three people sat at various tables, and none looked up from their shot glass littered tables. Tom, the innkeeper, wasn't around and the Order members slipped out the front door unnoticed onto a deserted London street.

"Lead on, Harry," Lupin motioned to the empty street.

"Eyes open and be discreet!" Moody whispered harshly, eye spinning madly.

No one spoke on the way to the hotel. Harry realized, as they were walking, that the worry that coursed through him the day before had subsided a bit. It felt good to have the Order members with them how he always thought it would be. It took only five minutes to reach the hotel and Harry wheeled around when they reached the front. "Hey…we can't just waltz into a hotel at 6 am without some excuse…"

"They won't notice," Tonks replied easily.

"But…yes they will!" Hermione glared, "Muggles might not know about magic but they'd be suspicious if…"

Tonks looked at Hermione pointedly, the tips of her long, cotton candy blue hair turning red, "Trust me on this one."

Hermione looked away; Harry guessed she was thinking she shouldn't have second guessed the other woman.

Sure enough, as they slipped in the bell boy tapped his foot to a melody only he could hear, and the receptionist popped her gum and turned the page of a magazine. As the elevator doors closed and Hermione pressed the button for the seventh floor, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

On the sixth ding the doors slid open and once again the mirrored hallway shone in the dim yellow lights. Harry could feel the atmosphere tense as they walked down the hall to their room. He pulled a key out of his pocket, "Here goes…" and proceeded to unlock the door.

When it swung open the room was just as they'd left it. The smashed pensive was still on the floor, glowing that sickly green, surrounded by blood. Moody took the lead, pushing Harry out of the way with his cane. His wand was out and poised and he moved into the room cautiously. The four teens were next, followed by Lupin and Tonks.

Ginny was right – nothing in the room had been left unturned. The curtains had been ripped down and the hems cut off. Pillows, mattresses, and comforters were sliced open and pulled apart, suitcases were flung about, and there were clothes everywhere. Draws had been emptied and even the baseboards had been pulled from the walls.

"This is worse than I remember," Harry said quietly.

Lupin sighed. "Let's get started, then."

The group spent the next few hours cleaning. Moody magicked the room to protect it from those in the hall…and those who might decide to fishbowl. First they weeded through everything; it was their turn to look. The work was meticulous. Everything could be fixed with magic, but such magic would hide things the clues they might find. Even the splintered wood of dressers and bed frames was examined. In the end the beds were made and the clothes were packed; everything was finally right.

Everything except the mark. They'd all tread around it and tried to ignore it. It would be the biggest obstacle, not to clean, but to decipher. Surely it had been a Death Eater, but no one was dead. They did not know where the blood was from, and Harry was certain the Pensive, even if fixed, should not be used again.

"How do we fix that?" Hermione gestured to the Mark, "Is it safe to touch it?"

"I don't think so, Miss Granger," Moody growled. "I would be worried if it were. Tonks, how do Aurors handle these things nowadays?"

Tonks smiled brightly, "What, Moody? Didn't your generation ever deal with these things? You know, cursed stone bowls shouldn't be that hard!" She waved her wand and a vial appeared. Bending down, she waved her wand again, sweeping the blood into the vial. "Hold this," she said, handing it to Ron. He took it like she was placing a curse on him.

"Now the real question is the Pensive. Do we reassemble it and risk the loss of any clues from it being broken? Or do we take it with as it is, possibly spreading a curse?" she queried.

"Ahh, Tonks. Today you will all learn a lesson." Moody pushed a piece of the Mark with his cane. "The wonderful thing about marble is that it is one of the only things in the world that magic cannot mimic, or influence. Whoever made this Mark either did so by hand, or used the blood to manipulate the pieces into place. We won't be able to reassemble it."

"So how will we move it? In a handbag?" Ron joked nervously.

"Yes."

Ron looked taken aback. So did a few other people. Moody looked at Hermione, "I'll need that tote you have there." Hermione handed it to him. He took out the invisibility cloak and vial of memories and handed them back to her before carefully putting the pieces in the tote. He then handed the bag to Ron, who was still cautiously fingering the container of blood. "If you will, Mr. Weasley, I think this might be a little heavy for Miss Granger. I'll take that," he took the blood from Ron, who was all too glad to get rid of it, and the memories from Hermione and slid them into a deep pocket in his robe. "Now for the final touch…" he took the cloak from Hermione and wound it around the tote, making it disappear from sight.

"I think we're ready," Lupin said, moving towards the door. He checked the peep hole and then opened it, breaking the magic seal on the room. The mirrored corridor awaited them for the last time. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione, go check out. The rest of us will meet you back at the Burrow."

Lupin took Tonk's hand and Moody, with his hand on Ginny's shoulder, steering her out of the room, gave the trio what Harry assumed was supposed to be a reassuring look. The four disappeared down the mirrored hall into the elevator. Harry saw Ginny's eyes and looked away. He couldn't show it. He couldn't let anyone know. She was just a girl, his best friends little sister, that was it.

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The three friends reached the bottom of the stairs, checked out at reception and made their way to the door. Harry looked over his shoulder as they walked out of the hotel. The receptionist was back to her magazine, popping her chewing gum, and the bell boy was tapping his foot. A man walked out of the elevator to the coffee shop with untied shoes and messy hair. He glanced at Harry and nodded slightly. Harry turned his head quickly and close behind Hermione, stepped outside.

"Some drinks in the Leaky Cauldron before we head back?" Ron asked lightly.

Hermione glared at him, "No, Ron. The bag."

"Tell you what," Harry said quickly, "You two go on back, I'll pick up some butterbeer for everyone. It'll only take a few minutes." Hermione looked at him, her eyes suggesting he not. "Come on, 'Mione. I'll be fine. Just go. If it takes longer that fifteen minutes I promise you can call in MI:5."

Ron looked clueless, but Hermione laughed, understanding the reference. "Fine! Go! Fifteen minutes or I call in the professionals! Let's go, Ron." The walked away, hand in hand and Harry heard Ron ask what MI:5 was.

'Finally,' he thought. 'What I really need is a Firewhiskey…'

Five minutes later he was in the Cauldron, and Tom quietly slid him a Firewhiskey. "Just one, Potter. Don't think I don't know how old you are…" his grin was toothy, but spread wide.

"I also need enough butterbeer for Napoleon's army, Tom," Harry grinned back, glad for the light hearted conversation.

"Of course, sir. Would twenty-four bottles be enough?" Harry nodded, and Tom disappeared in back.

Harry downed the whiskey and stared at the empty glass. He reflected on leaving the hotel and his mind lingered on the man coming out of the elevator.

There was something about that man…

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_Well guys, there you go! Lame chapter title, eh? I've had this chapter (started) on my computer since May 23, 2006…and you deserve to read the finished product. Freaking took me long enough, didn't it. Haha. I'm going to try really hard not to do that to you again. The only other change is that I deleted my between chapter notes…but I don't think anyone actually cares about that._

_I have another few stories going…or about to be going. Go ahead and read those in the meantime, and I'll try to update more often. College life is just so…eventful! Anyways, off to study for history._

_By the way…**please please please** review! And if you're still reading this after so long, I not only commend you – I respect you immensely!_

_-xtana_


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